In the vast, quiet expanse of Utah's West Desert, the story of Michael Caussey, a 50-year-old Caucasian male from Santaquin, came to a violent and tragic end. His body was discovered on Friday, November 27, 2020, discarded in the west Juab County Desert near the Brush Wellman Highway. An investigation by the Juab County Sheriff's Office would later reveal that he had been shot and killed following an alcohol-fueled altercation.
The events that led to this grim discovery began to unfold
with the arrest of two men from Nephi. Troy Pexton, 56, was taken into custody and faced serious allegations, including murder, obstruction of justice, and abuse or desecration of a human body. A second individual, 41-year-old Scott Blackett, was also implicated. Blackett was initially treated for unspecified injuries at a local hospital before being arrested on suspicion of abuse or desecration of a human body.
Investigators pieced together a narrative suggesting a dispute that escalated to a fatal confrontation. Following the shooting, it is believed that Pexton and Blackett were involved in moving Michael Caussey's body to the remote desert location where it was later found by search and rescue crews. The investigation into the precise circumstances of the altercation and the roles each of the accused played in the unfortunate death of Michael Caussey continued to unfold as authorities sought to bring clarity and justice to a life cut short.
